Passionfruit are not Australian

"Are passion fruit the most fragrant of all the eatable fruit of this world? I think they must be. The scent and sharp-sweet taste survive picking, packing, transport from their tropical vines. Visit Fauchon's marvellous food shop in Paris when the passionfruit are in: ... the scent hits you as you push open the door. Suddenly an air of paradise" Jane Grigson

I did not grow up in Australia, and had never encountered passionfruit before I came here. I gradually learnt that there was something very countrywoman, Women's Institute about passionfruit as they featured proudly in pavlovas and cheesecakes (also I thought an Australian dish), and sponges. They are available almost all year here - well you can get them all year but they are only really cheap when in season. Lots of people grow them in their backyards. I think I did once. An ideal passionfruit has a slightly crinkly skin and is heavy. Too light and it has dried up, no crinkles and it is not ripe. They seem to be quintessentially Australian.

But no - they come from South America - from Brazil, and Argentina and were brought back to Europe by the Spanish conquistadores - who also gave them their name. Jane Grigson tells the story best:

"Passion flowers delighted Spanish Jesuit missionaries in South America because in each of the complex flowers they could see the Signs of the Passion, the Three Nails, the Five Wounds, the Crown of Thorns, the apostles too (minus Judas and Peter). They believed the Creator had thoughtfully arranged the Passion Flower, the Flos Passionis, in this way, and had planted it in the New World to help in the conversion of the Indians."

I thought of passionfruit yesterday as I picked the last of my small yoghurts from the fridge for my fasting lunch. It was the passionfruit flavoured one - my favourite and once again I thought how beautiful the taste is - sharp yet sweet at the same time - and yes - with a hint of paradise and the exotic. I don't eat them or buy them very often, but I should. Indeed at least one of my favourite desserts - Pears in Passionfruit Sauce uses them. When I searched for recipes, thoughts, anecdotes in my recipe books it was the Australian cooks who dominated. Delia just has a sponge cake filling and Jamie goes for cocktails. Well I think they are still not very common in England, and therefore probably pricey. The Australians though are a little more adventurous, though the favourites seem to be variations on creams and ice-creams - plus the aforesaid pavlova, which Stephanie Alexander claims must be the best pavlova - just passionfruit and cream on top. Personally I think you need to add some banana. I can't make pavlova - I have tried with disastrous results, but I do sometimes cheat and buy one and passionfruit and banana would have to be my favourite topping. Oh and cheesecakes.

I don't know what the South Americans do with them. And a quick look on the net did not turn up much. But here are a few simple things you can do with them. The first three are from Beverley Sutherland Smith.

PEARS IN PASSIONFRUIT SAUCE (my favourite)

1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup water, about 8 strips orange rind, 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, 4 pears, 1/4 cup thick cream, 2 passionfruit

Place the sugar, water, orange rind and juice into a saucepan and heat. While this is warming, peel the pears and core them. Cut each pear into about 8 pieces. Place into the liquid and cook, without the lid, for about 10 minutes, turning the fruit around in the syrup occasionally. Then place a lid on the pan and cook them until tender.

Remove the lid, add the cream, turn up the heat and boil rapidly until the juices are rather glazed and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, cut the passionfruit into half and add the pulp to the saucepan. Place in a bowl to cool. Remove the orange rind. Serve warm just as it is or with some small biscuits.

Note: This dessert could be eaten chilled, but when cold the sauce becomes rather thick and a little buttery. (Yes it does)

STRAWBERRY PASSIONFRUIT SAUCE

An excellent sauce with ice cream or poured over squares of a plain light sponge and topped with cream. Keeps for about 8 hours refrigerated, after that the strawberries become too soft.

1/3 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon cornflour, 2 tablespoons caster sugar, pulp of 3 large passionfruit, 250g strawberries, 2 tablespoons brandy or orange-flavoured liqueur.

Mix the orange juice, cornflour and caster sugar together in a saucepan, and heat, stirring until it comes to the boil. It will be a thick mixture.

Add the passionfruit pulp and leave to cool.

If the strawberries are large, they can be cut into halves, but leave the small ones whole. Add the berries and chill the mixture. Before serving, add the brandy or liqueur.

PASSIONFRUIT SYLLABUB

1/2 cup caster sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons white wine, 1 tablespoon brandy, 8 passionfruit, 1 cup cream

Mix together caster sugar, lemon juice, white wine, brandy and the strained juice of 5 of the passionfruit. Whip cream until very stiff and then gradually beat in the wine and passionfruit mixture. Lastly fold in the remaining pulp of 3 passionfruit. It should be fairly stiff. Chill but serve within 7 hours as it goes a bit wet. It will still taste delicious for a couple of days but it doesn't look as nice.

PASSIONFRUIT CAKES

From Jill Dupleix. Perfect with a coffee.

90g butter, 1/2 cup caster sugar,1 free range egg, plus 1 egg yolk, Pulp of 3 passionfruit, 140g self-raising flour, sifted, icing sugar

Cream butter and sugar until pale.

Beat in egg and extra yolk until pale and fluffy

Stir in passionfruit pulp

Add flour gradually, then spoon mixture into chocolate truffle-sized paper cases until two-thirds full

Bake at 180ºC for 5 minutes or until golden at the edges

Just before serving, sift a little icing sugar over the top. Makes 20

PASSIONFRUIT CREAM

Also Jill Dupleix

300ml thick cream, 110g caster sugar, 50ml lemon juice, Pulp of 2 passionfruit, caster sugar, Italian biscotti for serving, 1 passionfruit for serving

Combine the cream and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, without allowing the cream to boil over.

Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, stirring well, and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Strain into two small glasses, ramekins or pretty cups and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

To serve, mix the passionfruit pulp with caster sugar to taste and spoon evenly over the top. Serve with half a passionfruit and biscotti or sponge finger biscuits for dunking.

PASSIONFRUIT ICE CREAM

From Jane Grigson

Scoop the pulp of 3 to 5 passionfruit into a basin. Simmer together 125g sugar and 125ml water for 3 minutes, then pour on to the passion fruit. Leave to cool slightly, then sieve. Freeze until the edges are firm, the middle slightly mushy, then beat and fold in 150ml whipped cream. Freeze again.

PASSIONFRUIT SHERBERT

From Coles Magazine

1/2 cup passionfruit pulp, 1 cup icing sugar

300ml thickened cream, 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt, Wafflle cones, to serve

Combine passionfruit pulp and icing sugar in a bowl and stir until dissolved. Whip cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold together with the yoghurt.

Add passionfruit mixture and fold through. Pour into an airtight plastic container (about 4 cup capacity) and cover with a tight fitting lid. Freeze overnight, until firm.

Serve scooped into cones.

I have lots more but this is probably enough to get you going. Like the dandelion it's an underused plant. So explore what you can do with it, even if it's just on a pavlova or sprinkled over yoghurt.